Evaluation of quality of life in patients after cochlear implantation surgery in 2014-2017.

INTRODUCTION: Profound hearing loss significantly affects the quality of life of deaf people as well as their families. Observation of the benefit from the use of cochlear implants in deaf patients allows to assess the success of treatment with this method and its impact on the quality of life of these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the quality of life in patient after the cochlear implantation in the material of Department of Phoniatrics and Audiology of the Medical University in Poznan. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved implanted patients who voluntarily joined to the project entitled "Observational study of the implanted patient (Cochlear-IROS)". It has a prospective character, it is an international and long-term study, covering the observation of patients up to three years after implantation. Standardized HUI and SSQ questionnaires were used. 70 patients were included in the analysis, the mean age at the time of the cochlear implantation was 47.6 years. In the research group there were 33 men and 37 women. In the whole group, the patients' age at implantation was at least 18 years, max. 80 years. RESULTS: The results of the SSQ questionnaire, which deals with the self-assessment of hearing ability in everyday situations, indicate that in the subjective assessment of patients one year after surgery the speech hearing improved by 77%, spatial hearing by 84%, and the quality of hearing by 49%. The general quality of life before the first connection of the sound processor according to the HUI questionnaire, the patients rated at 0.49 (0-1 scale, where 0 - corresponds to the death condition and 1 - full health). After one year from the implantation, this rating increased to 0.56. CONCLUSIONS: The implantation of the cochlear implant significantly increases the patient's quality of life, its physical and emotional functioning. Statistically significant better self-assessment of patients mainly concerned hearing speech and spatial hearing - especially after 1 year of connecting the speech processor.

Quality of life and hearing after cochlear implant placement in patients over 60 years of age.

OBJECTIVE: Multicenter evaluation of the quality of life and quality of hearing after Nucleus® cochlear implant placement in patients over 60 years of age. REFERENCE AND METHOD: Evaluation was performed in patients receiving cochlear implants after the age of 60 years as a part of the Cochlear-Implanted Recipient Observational Study (Cochlear-IROS). This study is a prospective, international and long-term assessment which enables observation of recipients for up to three years after implantation. Data regarding subjective evaluation of the quality of life and quality of hearing were gathered before the first switch-on of the sound processor and one year afterwards. Standardized questionnaires were used in this evaluation, including Health Utility Index (HUI mk. III) and Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing (SSQ) Scale. Data were also gathered regarding the aetiology of hearing loss, hearing aid usage, tinnitus and vertigo, as well as on the telephone usage and the professional status of recipients. RESULTS: Included in the evaluation, were 20 subjects who were over 60 years old at the moment of the cochlear implant surgery. The study group consisted of 12 men and 8 female patients. The average age of CI recipients at the moment of implantation was 67.8 years (min. 60, max. 80 years). The SSQ questionnaire outcomes regarding self-assessment in the field of ability to hear in everyday situations one year after the surgery indicate that speech understanding increased by 180%, spatial hearing increased by 135 % and quality of hearing increased by 98%. Overall quality of life before the first sound processor switch-on as assessed using the HUI questionnaire was at the level of 0.38 (on 0-1 scale, where 0 equals death, and 1 equals full health). One year after the implantation, this assessment increased by 33% (up to 0.5 on the scale). CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of the cochlear implantation in patients with severe hearing loss after 60 years of age with respect to the quality of life and hearing was confirmed. Statistically significant improvement was demonstrated in the self-assessment of patients in relation to the speech understanding, spatial hearing and quality of hearing, as well as quality of life.